SD not detected
Power off before inserting or removing an SD adapter. Forcing a card or adapter can bend pins in the serial or memory card port, so seat everything gently.
SD card not detected
When Swiss or an app reports no SD card, the fault is usually the card format, the card size, or the adapter, all of which are quick to check before suspecting hardware.
- Reformat correctly: format the card FAT32 with a 32 KB cluster size. exFAT and NTFS are not read by these tools.
- Try a smaller card: very large cards can be unreliable on this old hardware. A modest, quality card is often more stable.
- Reseat the adapter: remove and firmly reinsert the SD2SP2 or SD Gecko, checking it is fully home in the port.
- Swap components: test a different card in the same adapter, then the same card in a different adapter, to isolate which is at fault.
- Inspect contacts: dust or oxidation on the adapter or port pins can block detection; clean gently if needed.
Common culprits
- Wrong filesystem, the single most frequent cause.
- A counterfeit or worn-out card that fails to initialise.
- A cheap adapter with poor contacts.
Stick to proven cards
Reliable, genuine cards from a known brand at a sensible size avoid most detection headaches.